U.P.: Limited jobs for women at govt employment fairs in Prayagraj

Employment fairs being organised by the regional employment office, Prayagraj, seem to be failing to provide adequate job opportunities to the fairer sex

Employment fairs being organised by the regional employment office, Prayagraj, seem to be failing to provide adequate job opportunities to the fairer sex. Records of the regional employment office show that since April 2022, 11 job fairs have been organised in Prayagraj in which 4,426 unemployed people with qualifications ranging from high school to ITI diploma have succeeded in bagging jobs.

Youths queuing at the regional employment office, Prayagraj, while reporting for a job fair. (HT file)

However, among them there are mere 11 women who have got jobs from private companies visiting the fair in the first five months of this financial year—amounting to a dismal 0.24%. Most of these women who have even been offered job have been entrusted responsibilities in work from home mode, officials say.

Post graduate Moushumi Banerjee, who had participated in the employment fair held here on September 6, said, “There are not much employment opportunities for women in this fair. A few that exist require field work outside the city limits which is not preferred by most women,” Moushumi said while sharing that she was interested in working within the city but no such opportunities were available for her in the September 6 fair.

“In view of this problem, we are now contemplating to organise separate fairs for women in which opportunities can be provided to them by calling selected companies having suitable jobs for the fair sex,” he added.

Records also show that in these employment fairs, the unemployed get jobs ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 per month on an average. Most of the private companies taking part coming to these fairs are in the field of security, agriculture, life insurance and service sectors.